Your extra stage in SNES Aladdin is a pyramid, which kinda fits the story (supposedly Abu falls off the carpet on the way back from the Cave of Wonders… so did they take a detour to Egypt on their way? Not all deserts are the same!), but it’s about as generic as a videogame stage can get. Meanwhile, SNES Aladdin is an enormously competent platformer, but fails to add anything to Disney’s Aladdin. The animation is what catches everyone’s eye, but the little things, like a Sega Genesis hiding in the background of Genie’s lair, are what really make the game. In both cases, what could be trite, typical videogame levels pop with beauty and imagination, all while things like the pink flamingos in the Sultan’s massive pool style firmly tie the style to the source material. Genesis Aladdin drops in an extra trip to the desert to claim beetle fragments, and a street-rat trip around the palace to eventually defeat Iago.
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Aladdin the Movie might contain a story tailor-made for videogames, but it could still use a little expansion to round out the levels. Genesis Aladdin is known for having some of the smoothest, most amazing animation of the 16-bit generation, but focusing on that is unfairly ignoring its true greatest strength. Basically, the minute you start really looking at the nuts and bolts of Genesis Aladdin, you’ll quickly notice every place where it falls apart.īut is it the poorer title? Well, I wouldn’t be so quick to jump to that conclusion. Oh, and those bosses? They seem to exist exclusively to drain you of your apples, and, like bosses in a certain other franchise, it’s often difficult to know if you’re dealing damage at all. Another obvious flaw is an overabundance of bottomless pits and other instant death traps that seem to litter every stage after Aladdin escapes the streets of Agrabah. stages that zig and zag all over limited screen space, and it quickly becomes difficult to know if you’re actually making forward progress. For one thing, many of the more labyrinthine stages feature “European” layouts, i.e. But there are quite a few items that make the Genesis title objectively worse. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that value the Gen Aladdin experience over SNES Aladdin’s more muted adventure. Basically, the Genesis title has the same bones as its SNES cousin, but it seems to do so much more. Even the bonus stages are fairly innovative, offering a fine excuse to control a monkey in a fez as he gathers treasure. The animation is gorgeous, the levels are lush and creative, and there are even a few full-fledged bosses (whereas the SNES only had Jafar and one pissed off merchant). Additionally, while Aladdin had apples for stunning on the SNES, now hurling fruit will damage opponents completely, effectively granting Al a gun. This is another platformer, but Aladdin has become blood-thirsty, and he’s gained a sick scimitar. On the other side, we’ve got Aladdin for Genesis. Roll credits, move on to the next Capcom blockbuster. There are a pair of magic carpet rides for some dangerous/bonus variety, and, in the end, Jafar must be defeated by head-vaulting. Aladdin jumps, swings, and bops over enemies, and the most common monster appears to be a blind bird in a pot (really quite threatening, obviously). There’s a rudimentary collectathon element for completionists, but otherwise, it’s a pretty straightforward platforming experience.
Cross Magical Quest: Starring Mickey Mouse with Ninja Gaiden for cinematics, drop any and all transformations, and add a Genie-based roulette wheel to bonus stages, and we’re good to go. This was a Capcom release, and it shows in every way. On one side, we have (give me a second to flip a coin here) Aladdin for the SNES.
This is practically a JRPG before you introduce the princess with a pet tiger! Couple the dominance of Disney with a story that couldn’t be more suited to a 16-bit game if it had a mine cart, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a generation-defining videogame.Īnd then we got two interpretations of that blockbuster. There’s an evil wizard, ancient sealed magical force, helpful monkey, and at least two dungeons.
But Aladdin offered a rare opportunity: the story of Aladdin is one of swordplay and derring-do! It’s a boy’s story! And boys play videogames! Sure, Ariel made due with shoving seashells by the seashore, and Belle & Beast got their own boy and girl versions (it was a weird time), but Aladdin is an adventure story from start to finish. At the time, it was “yet another” brilliant Disney animated musical, and came hot on the heels of other perennial favorites like Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. West gaming philosophies, look no further than Disney’s Aladdin for SNES and Genesis.ĭisney’s Aladdin should require no introduction.